Converting Oriental Adventures creatures

Cleon · Dec 15, 2009

freyar said:
Good idea about the bonus to attack victims. +2 or just +1?

The replacement isn't a spawn, actually. It just means the body disappears with the suicide spirit. Maybe this should be a one-way plane shift where the suicide spirit takes its victim's body off to another plane, essentially meaning you need true resurrection to bring it back (or wish or miracle, I guess). What do you think?

I don't like that at all. If the body doesn't remain, how can we have the horrified discovery scene? I'd rather have the corpse be immune to resurrection, as if it had been the recipient of a soul bind spell except the Suicide Spirit is the "receptacle". Thus, you have to destroy the monstrous form its soul is trapped in before you can raise its corpse.

EDIT: Maybe add that you need to perform some kind of religious ritual for its death to 'take'. (Cast consecrate on the site of the spirit's suicide?)

freyar · Dec 15, 2009

Cleon, are you saying you want the Aura of Despair above plus a targeted Su? (The aura we have above actually goes a little past shaken, especially if we give the spirit an attack bonus.)

Here's the original "replacement" text: "When someone is killed by damage or drainage by a Pr’eta, both will then vanish — the victim of a Pr’eta does not himself become a Pr’eta." Sounds to me like there's no horrified discovery...

Shade · Dec 15, 2009

Yeah, no need for horrified discovery.

So, can someone summarize what exactly we are keeping that's been discussed. I've fallen behind in this thread.

freyar · Dec 15, 2009

Dropping daylight powerlessness.

I thought we'd roughly agreed on Aura of Despair, but Cleon is now suggesting an additional despair ability (I think).

Not sure if there's a consensus on the replacement yet.

No progress on fireball form, though I had suggested looking at a lantern archon, by which I meant ghaele, for an alternate form type ability into a ball of light.

demiurge1138 · Dec 16, 2009

I think Cleon missed that we'd already gotten an aura of despair ability.

Shade · Dec 16, 2009

OK, so...

Aura of Despair (Su): At the end of each of a suicide spirit's turns, creatures within 30 feet must succeed on a DC 15 Will save or take a –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks, skill checks, and weapon damage rolls for X rounds. The save DC is Charisma-based. Suicide spirits are immune to this aura. A suicide spirit gains a +2 bonus on attack rolls against opponents affected by this aura.

x = 1d6 rounds?

For fireball form, should it gain a touch attack that deals fire damage? Maybe the option to explode like a regular fireball (attempting suicide once more), then reforming x rounds/minutes later?

demiurge1138 · Dec 16, 2009

I like those suggestions, Shade.

freyar · Dec 16, 2009

Agreed, including 1d6 rounds. Probably the fire touch should do more hp than the usual incorporeal touch, unless we want to add Con drain to that too. Reform 1d4 rounds after fireball?

Cleon · Dec 16, 2009

demiurge1138 said:
I think Cleon missed that we'd already gotten an aura of despair ability.

No I didn't, basically I'd like it to have two mind-affecting powers.

(1) Demoralizing those around it (the "Aura of Despair").
(2) Driving a single victim to do something foolish or suicidal, maybe by causes temporary insanity (panic, confusion).

I don't like the "When someone is killed by damage or drainage by a Pr’eta, both will then vanish — the victim of a Pr’eta does not himself become a Pr’eta" of the Dragon magazine original, since from my limited knowledge of the subject it's not how it work in Chinese folklore. A Suicide Ghost often is trying to create a replacement, sometimes stealing its victim's body in the process.

freyar · Dec 17, 2009

Cleon said:
No I didn't, basically I'd like it to have two mind-affecting powers.

(1) Demoralizing those around it (the "Aura of Despair").
(2) Driving a single victim to do something foolish or suicidal, maybe by causes temporary insanity (panic, confusion).

I don't mind having either or both, so I'll let the consensus decide.

I don't like the "When someone is killed by damage or drainage by a Pr’eta, both will then vanish — the victim of a Pr’eta does not himself become a Pr’eta" of the Dragon magazine original, since from my limited knowledge of the subject it's not how it work in Chinese folklore. A Suicide Ghost often is trying to create a replacement, sometimes stealing its victim's body in the process.

Not sure what you mean it creates a replacement by stealing a body?